Feed roll construction

ABSTRACT

A feed roll for use in conjunction with a machine in a food processing operation. A hub of the roll carries a resilient outer component including a sleeve having conical end members which flex during momentary contact with the article. The surface areas of the flexed end members are adequate to advance the article being processed while avoiding damage to the article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns feed rolls used in commercial enterprises to advance articles along a course during processing of same.

By way of example, in the food processing industry it is a common practice to transfer, in succession, harvested ears of corn along a conveyor path with the objective being the introduction of each ear to a corn cutting machine for separation of kernels from cob.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,060, incorporated herein by reference, discloses such a machine. The patented machine has cooperating upper and lower pairs of rolls which receive each husk free ear of corn in sequence and advance same into a housing wherein an orbital cutter blade removes the kernels. The upper and lower pairs of rolls have lugs which frictionally engage the ear kernels. The lugs on existing rolls have angular surfaces resulting in line contact with and the rupturing of some kernels which become waste as damaged kernels are often not utilized in the end product. Of interest, is that the ear diameter is directly related to such waste. To the extent known, feed rolls of corn cutting machines have lug bearing surfaces and, even though the roll material is somewhat resilient, a substantial number of kernels are rendered unusable. What may initially appear as a minimal loss constitutes a sizeable loss of product when the high volume of processed corn is considered even over a short period of time. The foregoing serves to highlight the problem encountered in a food processing operation but is not intended to imply the present invention is limited to such use.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is embodied within a feed roll of the type utilized to advance articles along a course in a production operation.

Present roll construction utilizes a molded, resilient body which advances articles in succession along a path with minimal impact and damage to the article including food products. Inclined roll surfaces yield upon contact with the article. The inclined, product engaging surfaces, momentarily yield providing adequate frictional engagement with the ear to advance same. Roll walls avoid presenting sharply defined, firm edges to the kernels. Upon ear passage the roll returns to a normal configuration. The use of a resilient synthetic material, such as urethane, enhances adhesion between the feed roll and the article being propelled to the extent, at least in some uses, dispensing with a metal prong heretofore used on a feed roll to assure driving contact with the article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a prior art corn cutting machine having conventional lug equipped rollers or feed rolls;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the present feed rolls;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line of 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of one pair of the present feed rolls in contact with an article; and

FIG. 5 is a feed roll of modified shape with fragments broken away.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With continuing attention to the drawings wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly hereinafter identified, the reference numeral 1, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,060, indicates a corn cutting machine used in food processing plants with a first pair of rolls or rollers 16-17 and a second pair at 20-21 all lug equipped. Typically, feed rolls are utilized in multiple pairs such as in the prior art machine shown and disclosed in FIG. 1 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,060 incorporated herein by reference. The corn processing machine shown therein has vertically displaceable feed rolls for processing articles of non-constant cross section.

With attention now to the present roll, a hub is 70 is internally grooved or otherwise provided for driven engagement with a shaft 72. A sleeve at 73, of resilient material, is formed about the hub. End members at 74 of a roll are of generally of conical shape each having inner portions 75 merging with outer portions 76 and jointly providing outwardly divergent wall surfaces 77-78 with outer portions 76 terminating in a rim 80. Inner portion 75 of each end member is of reduced cross section for desired flexure upon article contact. An annular open area at 81 permits inward centripetal flexure of the end member during article contact.

A suitable resilient material for a roll is urethane having a rating of 82 on durometer scale A.

The present feed roll is of molded cast construction with a suitable bonding agent utilized between the hub 70 and sleeve 73.

One satisfactory embodiment of the present feed roll, for use in a corn cutter machine, utilizes an inclined roll surface 77 with an included angle X of 40 degrees with the roll axis at A.

In one suitable roll embodiment, a rim diameter is 2.25 inches with an inner rim diameter of 1.73 inches.

If necessary, for roll use with certain types of products, a pin or pins may be carried at the hub center.

A modified roll is shown in FIG. 5 wherein prime reference numerals indicate parts earlier described in the preferred form of the present invention. A center portion 83 of the modified roll is curved inwardly for additional contact with articles of reduced diameter such as, for example, ears of corn of less than standard size.

The feed rolls are commonly retained in place on a driven shaft by a threaded fastener in most instances enabling feed roll substitution to best suit the product being processed. If so desired, a metal pin or pins may project outwardly from curved mid-portion 83 to supplement roll to article engagement.

The corn cutter machine shown in prior art FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,060 is briefly described as follows:

A machine having pairs of powered rollers for propelling ears of corn along a course through a cutter head assembly for kernel separation. A hydraulic motor drives each roller by means of a powered shaft which, along with the motor, may be displaced during roller contact with a passing ear of corn by reason of flexible motor mounts each inducing a yieldable distal portion for motor attachment. The motors are shown in fluid communication with a single source of pressurized fluid. Equalizer arms each associated with a powered shaft ensures uniform, opposite displacement of each pair of rollers during contact with an ear of corn. A link coupling each pair of equalizer arms, and indirectly the shafts associated therewith, effects uniform roller displacement to permit ear travel along an axial course through the machine.

While I have shown but a few embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be secured by a Letters Patent is: 

1. A feed roll for moving articles in succession along a course and including, a hub for installation on a driven shaft, and a resilient member on said hub and having end members concentric with the hub yieldable upon momentary contact with an article.
 2. The feed roll claimed in claim 1 wherein said end members are conical and terminate outwardly in a rim.
 3. The feed roll claimed in claim 2 wherein said end members each have inner and outer wall portions, the latter of greater cross section than the cross section of said inner portions.
 4. The feed roll claimed in claim 1 wherein said end members each define an annular open area permitting centripetal flexure of the end members during article contact.
 5. The feed roll claimed in claim 4 wherein said resilient member is of a synthetic plastic. cm
 6. The feed roll claimed in claim 4 wherein said synthetic plastic is urethane. 